The invention relates to a stamp comprising a printing unit, an actuator unit and a connecting element, wherein the printing unit is connected to the actuator unit by means of the connecting element, wherein the printing unit further features a support element and a printing plate and the printing plate is stabilized by the support element, and wherein the printing unit is moveable from a neutral setting into a print setting by means of the actuator unit via axial displacement.
The invention further relates to a stamp cartridge for a round stamp for initial filling or refilling with ink comprising a pan-shaped support element with a pan bottom and at least one lateral wall and with an open top side formed on the opposite side of the pan bottom used for insertion of an ink storage body.
In addition, however, the invention relates to a semi-finished product for a round stamp comprising a pan-shaped support element with a pan bottom and at least one lateral wall and an open top side formed on the opposite side of the pan bottom used for insertion of an ink storage body.
Apart from conventional stamps with rectangular and square printing plates, prior art, such as WO 2004/060685 A1 or US 2005/0056173 A1, also describes what are known as round stamps. In these cases, the cross section of the printing plate is embodied as a round shape. One of the problems with existing stamps referred to as “pre-inked stamps” or similar is the process of correctly positioning such round printing plates. This means that the print and/or printed image is to be aligned with the front of the stamp because round stamps and/or stamps usually feature an inspection window revealing the print image at the top side or laterally. If the relative position of the print image in the inspection window and the platen do not coincide, the printing plate generates a correspondingly distorted print image when the stamp is aligned in accordance with the print image in the inspection window. This is not an issue in the case of a rectangular printing plate because for reasons of geometry there are only two options for installing the printing plate into the stamp housing whereas, in theory, there are an infinite number of positions available for the installation of round printing plates.
Therefore, in the case of prior art products, from the time of what is referred to as flashing (or of laser stamp and/or gel stamp die production), care must be taken to align the printing plate correctly with the remaining stamping device components. In most instances, the print image is facing the tabletop, actually making a check of said image impossible prior to final stamping device assembly, thus further complicating the assembly process. In addition, the necessary connecting components must also be positioned correctly in order to clamp the printing plate.
Publications DE 29 12 985 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,943 A describe hand stamps featuring an anti-rotation element in the form of interlocking connections allowing for modification of the vertical position of the printing plate.
Publication GB 2 197 821 discloses a hand stamp with a round printing plate, wherein the plug-in handle is secured against rotating by means of two tongue and groove connections but it cannot be adjusted.
For this reason, the object of the present invention is to provide an option designed to simplify the assembly of round stamps. Another object lies in reducing the time required to produce the stamp, in particular the saturation time for the ink storage body.